The Unconquerable Man
by smaragdbird
Summary: AU to 3.6, Christine Johnson stayed head of Arc and the team was captured. The new situation is generally unpleasent but everyone keeps working and hoping that Lester will come back somehow. At least until Wilder approaches Connor. Non-Con


Working under Christine Johnson and Captain Wilder was bad. Terribly bad in fact. Conner really, really wished that Lester would already come back and yell at him, insult Danny with sarcastic remarks, silently approve of Becker's work, pretend to be disgusted by Abby's love for the creatures and admire Sarah's professionalism without saying a word. Connor was pretty sure that Lester liked them and did everything he could to get his position back but in the meantime they would have to make do.

Danny was confined somewhere in Christine Johnson's headquarter because she didn't trust him but he knew too much to fire him. Sarah had yet to do something to bring Christine Johnson's or Captain Wilder's wrath down on her. Connor could tell that she didn't like it but it was easier for her than for the rest of them. Abby barely went on mission anymore. She couldn't bear the policy that states that everything that so much as looks like it could be a threat is to be shot on sight. Plus she and Connor were deadly afraid that someone from the new regiment might find out about Rex, Sid or Nancy. Becker remained impeccably professional, something the others had resented him for at first, Connor among them but by know he knew that Becker had it worst of all of them. His demotion was one thing but the other thing was far more worse and if Connor hadn't accidentally been a witness to it...He sincerely doubts that anyone could guess it from Becker's behaviour but the sight of two men holding Becker down while Wilder raped him had burned itself into Connor's mind like nothing else. Connor had thrown up in the bathroom and he still felt sick when he saw Wilder standing too close to Becker but he didn't know how he could help him.

"Hey, Connor," Josh was already in the locker room when Connor walked in. Connor knew that Josh knew, too what happened to Becker because there were cameras everywhere in the ARC and Josh was the one who deleted the footage. Connor had asked him how Wilder had bought his silence and Josh, whose girlfriend was seven months pregnant, had answered: "Accidents happen all the time and they can be deadly, too."

"Hey, Josh, going home?"

"Finally, Hanna hates it when I work late."

"She's fine, then?"

"Yeah, and we finally found a name. We're naming her Jasmine."

"That's cute." Connor smiled: "See you tomorrow?" Josh grabbed his bag:"You, too."

The door closed after Josh and Connor began to strip out of his clothes. He, Becker and Hunter had chased a pleistocenian squirrel tribe through a park and shepherded them back through the anomaly. That wasn't what the new policy demanded of them but Connor knew that Abby had rubbed off on Becker, who had a soft spot for most of the creatures they encountered especially when they were small and cute. The squirrels had been just as cute as the one from the Ice Age movies but very persistent to stay in the future and therefore hard to catch. Connor had looked forward to this shower since he had closed the anomaly.

The door to the locker room was opened again.

"Hey, Josh, did you forget some-"Connor trailed off when he saw that it wasn't Josh but Captain Wilder who had come in.

"Hello, Connor." He said.

"Good evening." Connor squirmed and quickly pulled his sweaty shirt back down.

"That was good work today." Wilder came slowly closer. He reminded Connor of a future predator that was sure its prey couldn't escape anymore.

"Thank you "Connor mumbled: "but there was really nothing to do. No creatures, I mean. We just had to close the anomaly." He felt terrified like a rabbit in front of a fox. He would have rather face a room full of future predators again.

Suddenly with one fast move Wilder had turned him around, pressed against the lockers with his hands pinned above him.

"I know you saw me with you friend. It's written all over your face." Wilder whispered into his ear: "He's too stubborn. Always puts up a fight." Connor tried to struggle but Wilder's grip on him was too strong. "But you won't fight, will you?" He slipped his free hand under Connor's shirt, caressing his chest: "I will enjoy this."

"Please don't, "Connor begged but Wilder was relentless. His hand moved downwards, opened Connor's jeans while rubbing his crotch against Connor's arse.

The door crashed against the wall and before Connor could move his head to see what was happening he heard Becker's icy voice:

"Step away from him."

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Wilder didn't sound too concerned.

"Step. Away. From him." Becker repeated and Connor could hear the familiar sound Becker's shotgun made when he clicked the safety off. This time Wilder did release Connor and took a step back. Connor's legs gave in and he scrambled to a corner of them room, closing his jeans with trembling fingers. He could see that Becker had Wilder at gunpoint but Wilder had a amused expression on his face that unsettled Connor deeply.

"Take him away," Becker ordered two of his men, Connor knew them, their names were Sharpe and Preston and they had been part of Ryan's team once. In the hallway behind them Connor could see Josh's pale but relived face.

Of course Captain Ross, Christine's Johnson other right hand man, chose that moment to barge in.

"What's happening here?" He bellowed and drew his gun at Becker: "Lieutenant Becker, release this man immediately."

"I can't do that until he's arrested." Becker said with a hard tone.

"Lieutenant Becker, I won't repeat myself." Ross threatened.

"Captain Ross," Josh said: "You should listen to Becker and arrest Captain Wilder."

"Shut your mouth!" Wilder yelled but Josh, who flinched, had Ross' attention.

"Why?" He asked without taking his eyes off of Becker.

"He tried to sexually assault Connor and wouldn't stop until Captain – I mean Lieutenant Becker drew his gun." Josh sounded deeply scared when he said it but his eyes looked apologetic at Becker. Ross' eyes flickered briefly in Connor's direction before he asked: "Is that true?"

Connor who was just as afraid as Josh saw Wilder's expression which promised that he would pay dearly if he said the wrong thing but there was also Becker and the guilt Connor had carried around for too long.

"Yes." He said and he said it fast as if that would help. His voice trembled just as much as his hands but Josh added: "The CCTV footage will confirm that." Ross seemed to come to a decision: "Preston, Sharpe, arrest Captain Wilder and Lieutenant Becker."

Becker stepped back and held one hand up while he put his gun slowly to the ground. Wilder tried to use that as a moment to attack him but Ross was already between them and threw Wilder back against the lockers.

"Enough!" He bellowed. Becker didn't resist, he kneeled down and held his hands behind his head, letting himself willingly put into shackles by Preston. He threw Connor a half encouraging and half grateful look which made Connor only feel sicker. Becker shouldn't be grateful. He, Connor, should be. Wilder wasn't as willing as Becker but he obviously didn't want to start a fight when he was at disadvantage.

"You get the footage." He ordered Josh. "Take them all to Miss Johnson's office." He looked at Connor: "And get Miss Maitland here." He nodded at Connor but said nothing while they waited for Abby to come but as it turned out she had already gone home.

/

The next step was talking to Christine Johnson. She looked from Wilder to Becker, who were both in shackles to Captain Ross, ignoring Josh and Connor completely. "Captain, what happened here?"

"Ma'am, Captain Wilder sexually assaulted Connor Temple in the locker rooms. Lieutenant Becker stopped him by holding him at gunpoint until I ordered Captain Wilder's arrest."

She barely looked at the footage before she said coolly:

"It looks like a soldier's flirtation. You are familiar with the Captain's preferences, I believe?" She asked Becker and Connor realised that she knew, she knew what Wilder was doing to Becker and she hadn't done a thing to stop it: "Please keep your jealousy out of your work; it's not appropriate for someone of your reputation." Even Ross looked disturbed at her answer:

"With all due respect Ma'am but I think the footage and the report from Lieutenant Becker, Mr. Temple and Mr. Flannigan –"She didn't let him speak.

"You are right, of course. This was an incident of gross misinterpretation but I think we can all agree that we won't lose another word over it, can't we?" She smiled her shark smile at Captain Ross, who protested: "Ma'am I can't –"But she interrupted him again with a cold: "Have you understood Captain Ross? I'm pretty sure Captain Wilder will apologise for misinterpreting Mr. Temple's interest in him won't you Captain?" Wilder stepped forward with a patently false smile on his face:

"Of course, I will. I'm very sorry Connor. I didn't mean to scare you with my advances." He turned to Christine Johnson: "And Ma'am, there's no need to punish Lieutenant Becker. I'm sure he only did what every one of us would have done given his interpretation of my intentions towards Mr. Temple."

"You heard him, Captain." Christine Johnson said to Ross: "Release them and let them take the rest of the day, off so that we can all forget this unpleasant affair."

Ross didn't look happy but he obeyed and released both Becker and Wilder.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Becker said while subtly moving sideward to put himself between Wilder and Connor.

/

Preston and Sharpe accompanied Becker, Josh and Connor down to the car park where Josh, after making sure that the cameras wouldn't catch it, pressed an USB-stick into Becker's hand.

"Do you think it will be enough?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Because if it isn't, I still have-" He was silenced by a stern look from Becker, who gave the stick to Preston: "Get this to Lester as soon as possible. I'll bring Connor home, Josh-"

"-I'll take a few sick days."

"Get out of London, out of the country if possible." Becker warned him.

"We will." Josh flashed them the pale ghost of a smile and climbed into his car: "Good luck."

/

"Is Abby already home?" Becker asked when they stopped in front of Connor's building. Connor had wrapped his arms around himself and shivered even though he didn't feel cold.

"No, it's Wednesday, she goes out with Sarah and Lorraine and two other girls from the labs on Wednesday."

Becker followed Connor inside, made him sit down in the kitchen and went on to make tea. He didn't even bat a lash when Rex came sailing through the flat to land on the table and even smiled fondly at Sid and Nancy who both chirped at him curiously.

He put a steaming mug down in front of Connor and sat down on the other side of the table.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"I don't know." Connor watched the steam from his mug rise in swirls until it vanished into thin air, feeling helpless and disorientated. He didn't know what he wanted to do next. Shower, mainly but with his clothes on. He didn't think he would want to be naked anytime soon.

"I don't know how to tell Abby." His fingers began to tremble again and he felt ashamed. Nothing had happened, nothing compared through what Becker had been through and yet Becker sat here, calm and collected while Connor was fracturing apart at the seams.

"Connor, "Becker said reassuringly: "It's okay." But Connor shook his head vehemently.

"No, it's not okay."

"This isn't your fault, not the slightest bit," Becker said intently, looking Connor in the eye: "Don't ever think that. You can tell Abby what you want and when you want to tell her. You don't have to tell her at all if you don't want to".

"Just like you never told anyone?" The words were out of Connor's mouth before he could stop them and Becker stiffened immediately but he feigned ignorance.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you. I know what he did to you." Becker looked away, almost as if he was ashamed or embarrassed.

"You shouldn't comfort me, you should be comforted. Why didn't you ever say anything?" He regretted the question as soon as he had asked it.

"It was something different. You should have never seen it. I'm sorry you did." Suddenly Connor felt angry: "So when Wilder rapes you it's okay but when he tries to rape me it's something you tell Lester?"

"There's ...history between me and Wilder. You saw how much Johnson has his back. His...aggression against me wouldn't have been enough."

"Is that what you told Lester?"

"Lester doesn't know and he doesn't need to know. It's over now. In a few days it will be over."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Connor asked again: "Lester could have-"

"-given me a new position?" Becker finished for him: "My duty is to protect the team and I thought you would be safe as long as I kept Wilder interested. I'm sorry I was wrong."

"You don't have to apologise." Connor felt sick of Becker's twisted understanding of 'the end justifies the means': "it's not your fault, either." Becker looked as if he wasn't convinced of that but didn't say anything. After a while of silence Connor asked tentatively:

"Could you stay? Just as long as it takes for Abby to come home?"

"Sure."

/

"Late night?" Abby asked with a grin when Connor sat down at the kitchen table the next morning. Becker had ended up staying the whole night, sleeping on the couch downstairs.

"No, not so late."

"Your 'not so late' night is making breakfast by the way."

"It isn't like that." And Connor told her the whole story except the part about Becker and Wilder. When he had finished Becker was standing in the door way, listening and Abby was visibly shaken and angry at Christine Johnson and Captain Wilder.

"What are we doing now?" She asked, looking like she wanted the answer to be something along the lines of throwing Wilder and Christine Johnson into the nastiest anomaly they could find.

"I'm waiting for a call from Lester. And I don't want you two going to work the next few days. I already called Sarah and she's taking off a few days as well."

"Are you going to work?" Connor asked quietly but before Becker could answer, his cell rang.

"Yes?" He answered and stepping outside and closed the door behind him.

/

"James, you're no longer allowed to be in this building."

"Christine, you're in my chair." Lester said when he walked into the office, accompanied by Becker and Ross.

"Captain, Lieutenant would you please accompany this extremely annoying man outside?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ma'am." Becker answered and gave her a letter. Christine skimmed over it and unsuccessfully tried to hide her anger.

"I told you it wasn't over. You really shouldn't have underestimated the Ministry's strong enforcement against sexual harassment at the work place" Lester sounded smug, before he addressed Captain Ross and became purely professional again: "Please arrest this woman and guard her outside."

"Of course, sir." Captain Ross turned to Christine Johnson: "Ma'am you're arrested under the charge of knowingly enforcing sexual harassment and denial of assistance when you were openly and under witnesses informed of said harassment."

"This isn't over James." She hissed before Captain Ross led her outside.

Lester wasn't quite sure how they managed it but the whole team was assembled in his office in the matter of a few minutes. Danny was still in his prison overall and looked a bit worse to wear but seemed to be fine otherwise. Of course they were all grinning like lunatics, except for Becker who remained professional but allowed himself a small, professional smile.

"Well, "he said, looking down on his desk and rearranged some things on it: "You have the afternoon off but I expect you back here tomorrow morning. And try to be on time, for once, Danny."

"You missed us, didn't you?" Abby grinned.

"Don't be ridiculous." Lester corrected her: "Captain, on a word please."

"Of course, sir."

/

Lester pinched the bridge of his nose, Becker was still there. Five minutes ago it had seemed like a good idea to talk with him but now? Not so much. Becker must have had his reasons and Lester wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to know what those reasons were. He would have liked if Becker spoke first but that seemed unlikely so he asked: "How are you?" The question visibly surprised Becker but he answered in an impeccably professional tone: "I'm fine, sir."

"Really?" Becker gave him a slightly wary look which Lester countered with a sharp glance of his own: "Because the material Mr. Flannigan gave me implies the direct opposite of 'fine'." Lester could read people, he didn't like most of them and would only under pressing circumstances admit that he liked someone but he could read them. Becker would hide behind his professionalism and vague answers as long as Lester didn't confront him.

"I'm sorry, sir?" Becker asked, feigning ignorance. Lester pinched the bridge of his nose again.

"Dammit Hilary, are you really that stupidly self-sacrificing? Did you think Flannigan wouldn't give me the footage of you and Wilder? I can't protect you if you don't tell me what's going on."

"With all due respect, sir, but it's my job to protect you, not the other way round." Lester was usually highly appreciative of Becker's professionalism but in this moment he hated this mask that Becker put over virtually everything that happened to him: "And it wasn't compromising enough anyway." Becker argued as if he wasn't personally involved. Lester raised an eyebrow which provoked Becker enough to elaborate: "I slept with Wilder before, willingly. Given how much Christine Johnson backs him up it wouldn't have held in court as evidence."

"Good to know you have a degree in law," Lester remarked sarcastically. He knew that his words, his tone were hurting Becker but he knew that nothing else would work because Becker was just as stubborn as Quinn.

"I did what was necessary." He insisted.

"I saw all of the footage." Lester said sharply: "He had you beaten up and held down by his men while he raped you. That would have been more than enough to convict him even if he had been married to you." He watched silently as Becker ran through all of the excuses he could think of.

"I didn't think Josh would risk his family to make copies before he deleted the CCTV files." Becker replied finally. Lester had to give him that.

"I want you to see a shrink, the whole team in fact." Becker shook his head and began with:

"That won't be necessary for m-"

"That's an order, Captain or I will assign you to the logistics and supplies office for the rest of your career." The familiarity of Lester's half-empty threats and wit made Becker smiled briefly before he said: "understood, sir."

"Thank you, Becker." Lester said before Becker left his office.

"Anytime, sir."

"Let's hope not." Lester said to himself because Becker had already left.


End file.
